Timeline of Extinction of Representative of:
MICROORGANISMS Smallpox virus Microorganism: Smallpox virus (orthopoxvirus) Disease: Smallpox Date of eradication: Declared eradicated in 1978 (virus conserved in certain laboratories) Estimated date of destruction of the last samples: 1999 – 2002
Poliomyelitis virus Microorganism: Poliomyelitis virus (genus Poliovirus) Disease: Poliomyelitis Estimated date of eradication: 2004 unknown
Leprosy bacterium Microorganism: Hansen’s bacillus Disease: Leprosy Estimated date of eradication: 2010 (Could possibly be later as we have still not succeeded in cultivating the pathogenic agent, an essential step towards developing a vaccine.)
Tuberculosis bacterium Microorganism: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, (Koch’s bacillus) Disease: Tuberculosis Date of control: 1974 Estimated date of eradication: 2050
PLANTS Lepidodendron Also known as Scale tree, Lepidodendron was a part of the coral forest area. The name Lepidodendron comes from the Greek lepido, scale, and dendron, tree. It was a giant herb that grew up to 100 feet sometimes. The branches were conical in shape. They did not have seeds. Instead, they reproduced through Spores. By the end of the Mesozoic era, these plants died out.
Calamites Calamites were medium sized trees that grew in the Carboniferous era. They had hollow stems, and the leaves and the branches were in whorls. They also reproduced through the formation of spores.
Archaefructus Archaefructus are considered to be one of the oldest flowering plants. They belonged to the Cretaceous age and were densely available in the northern regions of China. These flowering plants, however, lacked sepals or petals, and their reproductive organs were based on the stem of the plant.
Cooksonia Cooksonia were primarily land plants known to have existed on earth about 425 million years ago. They thrived in the present regions of Australia and Britain. They were small and lacked leaves, flowers and roots. They only had slender stalks.
Pluchea glutinosa Pluchea Glutinosa was a rare flowering plant that belonged to the family of Asteraceae. It was only found in one country – Yemen.
Valerianella Affinis Valerianella affinis was also found only in Yemen and it belonged to Valerianaceae family.
ANIMALS Northern White Rhinoceros The last two living northern white rhino's in existence happen to both be female as the last male died in March of 2018. Sudan, the 45-year old male was under armed guard at Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy when he passed away from old age and an infection. The two females are also unable to give birth, making the likelihood of introducing a new generation of the species highly unlikely. Scientists are working on using harvested sex cells and IVF to bring forth a lab-created northern white rhino. Cause of Extinction: poaching has decimated this population and loss of habitat also helped drive the rhino to the brink of extinction.
The Spix Macaw Thought to be extinct in the wild, the Spix Macaw currently exists in captivity with their numbers in the dismally low 6080 range. The bird is also referred to as Little Blue Macaw because they're known for their vibrant blue feathers. Cause of Extinction: the Spix Macaw went extinct in the wild due to habitat destruction, illegal trapping and trade.
Pyrenean Ibex The Pyrenean Ibex officially went extinct in 2000, before being 'resurrected' nearly a decade later in 2009. Scientists used DNA taken from preserved epidermal samples to create a clone of a female Pyrenean Ibex, which was able to make it through gestation and even birth before dying shortly after of lung deformities. Cause of Extinction: extensive hunting during the 19th century.
Madeiran Large White The stunning Madeiran Large White butterfly was found in the valleys of the Laurisilva forests on Portugal's Madeira Islands. The butterfly's closest relative, the Large White, is common across Europe, Africa and Asia. Cause of Extinction: loss of habitat due to construction as well as pollution from agricultural fertilizers are two major causes of the species' decline. While it hasn't been officially declared extinct, the butterfly hasn't been seen for decades.
Falkland Islands Wolf The Falkland Islands wolf went extinct in the late 1800s and was also known as the Antarctic wolf and the Falkland Islands fox. These wolves were native to the Falklands off of Argentina and were quite isolated from the world until humans reached the islands and hunted them (kind of easily because the wolves were so friendly). Scientists believe these wolves fed on penguins and other ground-nesting birds in addition to seal pups. Cause of Extinction: hunting.
Javan Tiger Similar in appearance to the Sumatran tiger, the Javan tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Java. In the 1800s they were so common they were considered pests by island natives, but as the island was developed their population dwindled. By the 1950s, only 20 tigers remained. Cause of Extinction: loss of habitat and agricultural development led to severe population decline. Conservation efforts in the 1940s and '50s were unsuccessful due to a lack of adequate land and planning.
The Passenger Pigeon Estimates say that the passenger pigeon population numbered in the millions—and possibly billions— when the first Europeans began settling in America. Cause of Extinction: humans hunted the pigeon and consumed it to the point of extinction with the last known bird dying in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.
The Golden Toad The golden toad is not the only species to disappear in the past 40 years, but it just might be the brightest. The small toad was last seen in 1989 in a Costa Rican rainforest before being declared extinct in 1994. It is believed that Chytridiomycosis, a fatal skin disease, decimated this toad population that was already vulnerable thanks to what Science is calling a "limited habitat and small population." Cause of Extinction: pollution, global warming, and chytrid skin infections led to the extinction of this species.
Zanzibar Leopard One of several subspecies of leopard, the Zanzibar leopard made its home on the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania. It's still unclear whether this large cat is technically extinct—there are occasional unconfirmed sightings. Cause of Extinction: the leopard went extinct thanks to the belief that these animals were kept by witches; for this reason, locals aggressively hunted them.
Carolina Parakeet The Carolina parakeet was the only bird of its kind native to the eastern portion of the U.S. The last Carolina parakeet died at the Cincinnati Zoo in February of 1918 soon after his mate, Lady Jane, passed. Cause of Extinction: the Smithsonian notes that while a specific reason doesn't explain the parakeet's extinction, it's likely that deforestation and disease are what offed the brightly colored birds. It also didn't help that their feathers were coveted fashion fixtures for women's hats.
Pinta Island Tortoise The Pinta Island tortoise was around when Darwin visited the Galapagos in 1835. Sadly, a male named Lonesome George (pictured), was the last purebred of this subspecies and passed in 2015. Cause of Extinction: goats that humans introduced to Pinta Island who destroyed their habitats, rats (also introduced by humans) who preyed on young tortoises, and humans killing the tortoises for their meat.